Pet Peeve #2
Characters Destined to Repeat History Over and Over (and stupid ones too)
Why is it that no one learns from their mistakes? It’s even a cliché in horror movies. Characters that never look behind doors, characters that open the door despite the danger, etc.
In the latest wave of dystopian novels like Cyberstorm they’re still doing it. They stay in the city when all hell breaks loose, stubbornly competing with ten million other people for the bare necessities like water and food when all they had to do was go into the countryside… oh, wait a minute, then there wouldn’t be a story!
Don’t get me wrong, Cyberstorm was okay. I just hated the stupidity. They all decide to stay in New York City and ride out a blizzard, no power, no food, no water, disease, riots, arson, beatings, robbery, murderous rampages and on and on. Yet sixty miles away there is plenty to eat and drink and relative safety (if they weren’t so stupid again to naively walk up to potential killers without a second thought).
Can we please bring some intelligence back to our writing? When did Americans have to become stupid to be characters in books and movies? Why does everyone seen to want to wear stupidity as a badge of honor?
